Alright. Everything's set and ready to go. All that's left to do is press send. Go on. Come on, Peter. Ugh. Why would I suddenly rather be fighting Doc Ock on top of an active volcano than sending this e-mail? I mean, it's no big deal, right? Gwen and I have been friends for a while now. I'm sure our friendship can come out of this unharmed if she happens to not feel the same way. Nothing has to change. She'll just know the way I feel about her, making me completely open and vulnerable in every way. That's all. Gawd! The Fantastic Four could walk into my room right now and say they I and only I could help them with an important mission in the Negative Zone and I would not hesitate to go. I wouldn't even wonder how they knew my secret identity. I would just go.

While Peter kept his mouse hovering over the send icon, unsure whether he wanted to take this risk, his roommate and best friend, Harry Osborn walked into his room.

"Hey, Pete, whatcha workin' on?"

"Nothing!"

While turning around to keep Harry from seeing what he was doing, Peter inadvertently clicked the send icon.

"Oh no!"

"Oh no, what, Pete?"

"I sent an e-mail that I wasn't sure if I wanted to send or not."

"Why would you type it out if you didn't want to send it?"

"I…I don't know. I've gotta get to English class. I'll see you tonight, Harry."

"See ya, man."

Once Peter made it to the street and was out of sight, he slipped into his Spider-Man costume and took to web-swinging to try to calm his nerves.

Okay, Pete. So the e-mail's been sent. Nothing you can do about it now. Just gotta roll with it. You know, maybe she won't even see it. Some people get so many e-mails that they just never look at. Maybe you're safe. Yeah, and maybe the Sinister Six will forget about this whole supervillain thing and become a boy band.

While Peter tried to distract himself with thoughts of what the singles of the Sinister Six's first album would be called, Gwen Stacy was at the library with Mary Jane Watson killing time in between classes.

"Hey, Gwen, what role do you think I should try out for in Macbeth? I've narrowed it down to either Lady Macbeth or one of the Weird Sisters. I was thinking Lady Macbeth might be a bit more challenging while playing a Weird Sister might be more fun. But, on second thought, I'd have to wear a lot of makeup and why would I want to deprive my audience of seeing this beautiful face the whole night? Hello? You know that was just a joke, right?"

Gwen, who was staring blankly at her laptop, snapped back to reality and finally acknowledged her friend.

"What? Sorry, MJ. I just got this e-mail from Peter."

"You did? What does it say?"

Mary Jane yanked it away from Gwen, despite her protests.

"'Wouldn't normally say this in an e-mail', 'had feelings for you for a while now', 'would like to take you to dinner'. Wow. So are you gonna let him take you out or what?"

"I…I don't know."

"What?! Why not? He's cute and it's obvious you have chemistry."

"We do?"

"Of course! If there's one thing Mary Jane Watson knows, it's attraction."

"Because you're so used to seeing it on every guy's face you meet?"

"Gwendolyn, dear, let's keep this about you. Now why aren't you jumping at the chance to go out with Peter?"

"I mean, he's a great guy. He's cute, really smart, good sense of humor, and I don't think I've ever had a dull conversation with him."

"I sense a 'but' coming."

"But I guess I just never thought of us as being a romantic thing before."

"Has he ever flirted with you before?"

"I guess, maybe."

"And did you flirt back?"

"I guess. I've never been too good with the whole flirting thing. Usually if a guy talks to me I just assume he wants to borrow my science notes or needs directions to the bathroom or something."

"Look, I may have not known you in high school but it's plain to see now that you're a babe. If a guy is flirting with you now, assume he's interested. Peter Parker may have his faults, he's a bit on the nerdy side, he's usually very busy, and he never seems to be around when trouble starts, but he's also one of the best guys I've guys I've ever met. The good ones don't come around too often. Trust me, I know. There's a reason I never keep guys around for long."

"Didn't you guys go on a few dates?"

"Me and Peter? Like a date and a half. A girl like me can't stay tied down. Let me live vicariously through you. Be the one of us who's gonna date the nice, sweet guys that stick around."

"Hey, what if I wanna be a party girl? I can live it up. I can get down."

"Stop."

"Ok. I'll give this Peter thing some thought. And yes, you should go for Lady Macbeth."

"I was thinking that, too."

Around 9:00 that night, Peter, who had been in and out of class as well as his costume all day, opened the door to his apartment.

The light's off? I figured Harry would be home by now.

Peter flicked the light switch only to find Harry sitting at their kitchen table.

"Good gosh, Harry! How long have you been sitting here in the dark?"

"All day, Peter. All day. Once I realized that my best friend was keeping something from me, I couldn't bear to leave this spot."

Peter, despite fearing that Harry may have suspicions that he was Spider-Man, played along anyway.

"Really?"

"No, I do have a life. I got home about five minutes before you and wanted to freak you out. And it worked!"

"Definitely, you weirdo."

"But seriously, what was that about this morning? With the e-mail thing?"

"Oh, it was no big deal. Just put my heart on the line and told Gwen Stacey how I felt about her was all."

"Dude! I didn't know you a thing for her!"

"I have for a few months, I just decided I wasn't gonna do anything about it."

"Why wouldn't you?"

"I'm a busy guy, you know. Work, school, my aunt. Not a lot of extra time to put into a relationship. Plus I was a little scared that if she wasn't into me to that it might affect our friendship."

"What you should be concerned about is how much of a freak she's gonna think you are for saying it in an e-mail. I mean, really? It's not 1998. You should've texted her or Facebook messaged her or something."

"She's e-mailed me before so I thought it was a good route, okay? Please don't make me feel worse about this."

"Sorry, Pete. Well, I guess it makes sense now why you were never interested in the girls I tried to set you up with."

"No offense, Harry, but they were floozies. Nothing in their heads but air. Gwen, she's different. I can talk to her about science, indie movies, Aunt May's medical problems. Nothing's off the table. She makes me laugh harder than anyone else. I find myself doing anything and everything I can to make her smile. You have no idea how many crappy days thinking of that smile has gotten me through. I've been able to look at Jonah after being on the receiving end of verbal abuse that would make Flash Thompson wet his pants and still give him a huge grin just because I was thinking of a new pun Gwen had tried on me that day. And the way she's dealt with losing her mom? She's just amazing to me."

"Sounds like you've got it bad, my friend. What's your next move?"

"The only thing I can do. Wait."

For fans of my other stories, I am sorry I have been slow getting new chapters out. This story is extremely personal to me as I'll be taking bits and pieces of my own life and injecting them into it. I don't plan on this running for too long and once it's over Batman & Wonder Woman and Justice League Forever will be getting my full attention.